


Minding Lovers Past

by theatrchy2004 (Terminal_Trekkie)



Series: Minding Matters [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Bisexual Poe Dameron, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gaslighting, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, M/M, Minor Violence, Panic Attacks, Posessive Armitage Hux, Protective Armitage Hux, Protective Poe Dameron, Shameless Smut, Smut, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:26:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25102375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terminal_Trekkie/pseuds/theatrchy2004
Summary: When their blasts from the past show up again, Armitage and Poe must face them together in order to move past them.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Armitage Hux
Series: Minding Matters [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738927
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52





	1. Ben Solo

**Author's Note:**

> Similar to "Minding Birthdays" each of these chapters is essentially a one-shot tied together by the theme of the piece. This chapter takes place somewhat shortly after Armitage's birthday. 
> 
> There are references to an incident in "Minding Millicent" in this chapter, so I'd recommend reading that first if you haven't already.
> 
> Also, fair warning - thar be smut ahead.

The Friday night crowd was starting to pick up at Rojio’s, but fortunately the motley crew of friends had arrived earlier and snagged a table. They were gathered together to celebrate Rose’s recent promotion. The lady of the hour sat across from Armitage, a pleasant flush on her cheeks, though whether that was from the alcohol or Finn’s arm draped across her shoulder was anyone’s guess. Armitage often wondered if Finn was truly oblivious about Rose’s obvious crush on him, or if he simply chose not to acknowledge it. 

“So what exactly does a senior software engineer do?” Finn asked. 

“Well, a lot of it will be the same. I’ll still be building software, but on a more advanced level, plus I’ll be training newbies. Oh, and get more money,” she giggled. 

“To more money!” Rey bellowed and lifted her glass. 

“Hear hear!” Poe cheered with equal enthusiasm as they all joined in on the toast. 

Swallowing the last of his Guinness, Armitage stood up. “Next round’s on me,” he announced. “Everyone having the same?” Once he was sure he had everyone’s order correct he headed to the bar. 

After he’d placed the orders, Armitage leaned back with his elbows on the bar, watching his table from afar. He couldn’t hear them over the music and chatter in the bar, but he could see them laughing and talking. Sometimes it was overwhelming how much his life had changed in the past year, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. For the first time in his life, he had a group of friends he could trust, who accepted him for who he was. More than that, he had Poe. 

Even now he couldn’t believe his luck that someone like Poe Dameron wanted to be with him. He was just so inherently good; Armitage had never known such a pure heart until Poe walked into his life. Oh, and it certainly didn’t hurt matters that the man was gorgeous. He suspected Poe was aware of the effect he had on men and women alike, yet he’d never once seen him use that power for evil. 

As though sensing he was being watched, Poe looked up in Armitage’s direction. Catching the ginger’s gaze he gave him a cheeky wink and blew him a kiss, causing Armitage to blush and demure. 

“How touching,” came a deep voice next to him. 

And just like that, the warm, happy buzz flowing through Armitage was replaced by ice in his veins. He turned back around to the bar, hoping the barkeep would be finished with his order soon. 

“What, you’re not even gonna say hi?” the other man turned with him. 

“What do you want, Ben?” Armitage hissed. 

Ben Solo lifted his hands in a not entirely convincing surrender. “Can’t a guy say hi? It’s a free country after all.”

“You never ‘just say hi’, so whatever you’re here for just get on with it so I can get on with the rest of my evening.”

Ben smirked, “That’s what I like about you, Armie. Always straight to the point. No nonsense.”

“Well, one of us had to be and it certainly wasn’t going to be you.”

“Aww come on, Armie, don’t be like that.”

“I will _be_ however I like. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m here with my boyfriend.”

Ben snorted. “Right, _him_. It was cute how he tried to protect you last time I came to visit. He didn’t seem to appreciate we were just trying to have a good time.”

Armitage felt his heart race in fear. “How did you know Poe was my boyfriend?”

“Ah, Poe! So he has a name!” Ben crowed triumphantly. “Well, no matter. It won’t be long before he leaves you anyway.” 

Armitage felt his cheeks turn bright red in shame. “You don’t know that.”

“But I do. Come on, Armie, I’m not blind. This Poe of yours is one prime specimen. He’s way out of your league and you know it. It’s only a matter of time before he realises it too.”

* * *

Across the room, Poe was starting to wonder what was taking Armitage so long. The service at Rojio’s was pretty fast, even with a crowd, so it shouldn’t be taking this long for him to return from the bar. He glanced back up to where he’d caught his boyfriend ogling him before, only now, his entire demeanor had shifted and he was talking to some guy. No. Not just some guy, a tank, _the_ tank. Ben Solo. 

“Shit,” Poe stood abruptly. 

“What is it, Poe?” Rey asked.

“That guy at the bar is Hux’s ex,” Poe explained. “He’s not a nice guy” 

“This guy trouble?” Finn asked, his expression hardening as he assessed the threat at the bar. 

“You could say that, but look, I don’t want you guys getting mixed up in this. Just stay here,” with that he started to make his way through the crowd, thinking through different strategies. As he got closer, he settled on what came most naturally to him: charm.

“Hey babe,” he wrapped an arm around the ginger’s waist, noticing how tense he was, and gave him a peck on the cheek, “who’s your friend?”

Ben leveled him with a blank stare, “Real subtle.”

Playing dumb, Poe blinked innocently. “I don’t understand.”

“Don’t be coy,” Ben sneered at him. Ah, so the charade was up. 

“Poe, please, go back to the others, I’ll be with you in a moment,” Armitage whispered loudly into his ear. 

The smile dropped from Poe’s face. “No, I don’t think so. I don’t trust him, Tage.”

“Tage? Really?” Ben mocked. “How come he gets to call you Tage but I can’t call you Armie?”

“I let Poe do lots of things I never let you do.” 

Ben smirked. “I seem to recall you letting me do all kinds of things.”

“Just because you did them does not mean I consented to them,” Armitage clipped. 

That made Ben scowl. He uncrossed his arms, his hands forming into fists at his sides. “What are you implying?”

“You know damn well what I’m implying.”

Sensing tensions rise, Poe stepped between the two men, keeping his eyes trained on Ben, “Listen, you’ve had your fun why don’t you-”

“Stay out of this, little man,” Ben shoved him roughly to the side.

Poe didn’t see how this action made Armitage’s eyes flash to the size of saucers, but he did hear a loud crack before seeing Ben go crashing down to the ground with a bar stool. 

“How dare you touch him!” Armitage was red with rage, his hand clenched into a fist. “You’re not fit to lick his boots much less lay a finger on him.”

There was a flurry of action as Ben scrambled back up while Poe inserted himself between the two giants again. He could hear one of the bartenders yelling for them to stop or he’d have to call the cops. 

Before Ben was fully upright, Poe and Armitage suddenly found themselves surrounded by their friends. Rey and Rose flanked Armitage while Finn stood next to Poe, arms crossed and flexing his muscles in a show of strength.

Ben glowered at the group, a bruise blooming on his cheek. Even with the odds against him, he seemed to be contemplating an attack. Knowing how the other man operated, Armitage could see his thoughts as clearly as if he’d spoken them.

“Careful Ben,” Armitage spoke calmly, “that your personal interests don’t cause a scandal for mummy’s campaign. Imagine how she’d react if your proclivities came into the public eye.”

“Mom knows I sleep with men,” Ben rolled his eyes.

“Those weren’t the proclivities I was speaking of.”

The threat was clear. If he so much as looked wrong at one of his friends, Armitage would go to the press to reveal Ben Solo as the abuser he was, from the gaslighting to his more sinister sexual desires. 

“Fine. You’re not worth this anyway. You never were,” Ben spat before storming out of the bar and out of Armitage’s life, hopefully forever.

When he left, there was a collective sigh of relief from the group as well as the patrons around them. 

Not caring that they had an audience, Poe turned and hugged Armitage tightly before asking a bartender for some ice for the ginger’s hand. 

“Fine,” the barkeep handed him some ice wrapped in a rag, “but you guys have got to get out of here.”

“Of course,” Armitage conceded. He tossed a few large bills on the counter. “Sorry for the trouble.”

Finn was already outside, having apparently appointed himself bodyguard for the group. They found him on the sidewalk standing watch to make sure Ben wasn’t lurking around waiting for them. 

Once it was determined the coast was clear, a silence fell over the group. 

“Rose, I am so sorry I’ve ruined your evening,” Armitage apologized. 

“Are you kidding?” Rose was practically buzzing with adrenaline and liquor. “That’s the most excitement I’ve had in forever! I’m just sorry your ex is such a dickwad.” 

Armitage snorted, “Indeed.” Rose was clearly inebriated.

“Okay, tiny drunk person,” Rey grabbed her friend by the shoulders, “time we got you home.”

It wasn’t long before the friends bid each other adieu as they made their ways home in their separate rideshares.

* * *

Poe was quiet on the ride home. Come to think of it, he’d barely said a word since asking the bartender for ice, which he was currently cradling against Armitage’s hand. He kept his gaze out the window.

“The ice is unnecessary, you know. I do know how to throw a punch,” Armitage assured him. Poe simply nodded but made no move to release his boyfriend’s hand. It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps Ben had done more damage when he shoved Poe than initially thought. “Darling, are you sure you’re alright?” He reached his free hand around, resting it gently on Poe’s arm. “Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine, Tage,” Poe finally turned to look at him, giving the hand on his arm a gentle squeeze of assurance. His eyes darted toward their Lyft driver. “We’ll talk about it when we get home?”

Armitage nodded, swallowing a lump of nerves that suddenly formed in his throat. 

When they arrived home, after thanking the driver, they piled out onto the sidewalk in front of their building before making their way inside.

“Poe, I’m so sorry I ruined our evening. I don’t know what got into me, but when he touched you-” Armitage was cut off by Poe’s lips crashing into his own. The kiss was hard, passionate and messy, all lips and teeth. 

When they finally broke the kiss, both their hearts were pounding in their chests. Poe rested their foreheads together, a task made a bit easier since he was a step ahead of Armitage, bringing their heights closer together.“I’ve wanted to do that since the moment you decked that bastard,” he admitted.

“I- you have? But...why?”

Poe pulled back a bit so he could look Armitage in the eyes. “Because I was proud of you for standing up for yourself,” he smiled. “Plus it was kind of hot.”

Armitage couldn’t help but notice the faintest bit of color rise to Poe’s cheeks. “You thought my decking him was hot?” 

Poe nodded sheepishly, shifting his gaze to the ground. “That and how you stood up to him. How you threatened him.”

Armitage licked his lips before stepping up the rest of the way onto the landing, gently leading Poe backwards till he was pressed against the wall, long, slender arms caging him in. “Your pride is misguided, darling. I wasn’t standing up for myself; I did it for you.” 

There was a sharp intake of breath before Poe tilted his head back up. His pupils were blown, making his already dark eyes almost black. Armitage leaned down to kiss him again.

“We should go inside,” Poe gasped between kisses.

“Indeed,” Armitage agreed.

“Your place or mine?” Poe asked.

“Don’t care,” Armitage barely stopped his kisses to answer.

Poe nodded, pulling out his keys and leading them into his place. As soon as the door was closed and locked, Armitage had Poe pressed up against it. 

“Show me where he touched you,” Armitage growled. 

Poe brought his hands, shaking with adrenaline, up to his chest, “Here,” he indicated where Ben’s hand had pressed against his pectorals, “and here,” he reached a hand up to one of his biceps.

Armitage growled again before sliding his hand up under Poe’s shirt, massaging the spots Poe indicated. “How dare he,” he whispered, “ how fucking dare he.”

“I’m okay, babe, he didn’t hurt me,” Poe tried to reassure him between pants and gasps as Armitage peppered his throat with little kisses and bites.

“I don’t care. You’re mine.” 

Poe shuddered with desire at those words. “Yours?”

“Yes,” Armitage cupped his face before placing a gentle kiss to his lips, “and I’m yours.”

The ginger moved away from the door, taking Poe’s hand to lead them to the bedroom. It didn’t take long for them to divest of their clothing. They were both rock hard. 

His aching member aside, Poe was putty in his boyfriend’s hands. He didn’t resist as Armitage laid him back on the bed, straddling him. 

“So fucking perfect,” Armitage muttered as he brushed Poe’s chest with kisses.

“Mm’not perfect,” Poe managed between moans.

Armitage cupped his face, forcing him to look him in the eye. “You’re perfect for me,” he declared earnestly before kissing him sweetly. Sweetness was quickly overtaken by heat as they rutted against each other. “Poe, darling, do you trust me?”

“Yes, of course.”

Armitage broke their kiss. He bit his lip nervously. “I...I want to be in you. Is that okay?”

Poe smiled. “Yeah, babe, I think I’d like that.”

Armitage smiled back sweetly before kissing him again. Slowly but surely he continued kissing down Poe’s body, leaving little marks here and there. Poe instinctually lifted his legs up as Armitage reached his destination. There the ginger knelt, taking a moment to examine the task before him. Were Poe not so incredibly aroused, he would have giggled at how cute Armitage looked, his head cocked to one side, a slight crinkle in his brow as though he were analysing a math problem. Before a giggle could escape, though, Poe threw his head back and moaned at the sudden sensation of Armitage’s tongue against his hole. Like the rest of him, Tage’s tongue was long and pink; Poe had already experienced how skilled that tongue was when applied to his cock, but this was like an out of this world experience. Sure, Poe usually topped, so his experiences getting eaten out were limited, but he was pretty sure he’d remember if any of those other experiences felt this good.

“Fuck, Tage,” Poe gasped out. The only response he got was a low hum which sent vibrations through him. 

Eventually, Armitage slipped his tongue out, assessing the progress. “Almost,” he declared quietly. He opened a drawer in the nightstand, grabbing the lube and condoms he knew were stashed there. Moving back between Poe’s legs he slicked up his fingers. 

“Tell me if anything, and I mean anything, hurts,” he demanded, sea foam green eyes meeting brown. Too undone to respond verbally, Poe simply nodded between pants. 

Armitage placed a gentle kiss to the inside of his thigh before sliding a finger in. It went in easily, thanks to the preparation already administered, so he slid a second in, scissoring gently to open him up. As the third finger went in, Armitage used his other hand to stroke Poe’s cock, pre-cum leaking from the tip. He couldn’t resist darting his tongue out to lap it up. 

A low, guttural moan escaped Poe’s lips. “Fuck, Tage, need you.”

The ginger released the cock in his mouth with a loud pop. Rolling a condom over his own cock and slathering it generously with lube, he moved up to align it with its destination. Slowly but surely, he guided it in, making sure to watch Poe’s reaction for any discomfort. Seeing nothing but pleasure there, he started to move, leaning over the other man’s body to place a kiss on his lips. 

“Poe,” he whispered reverently, “so perfect.” Reaching between them with his already slick hand, he stroked Poe’s cock to the rhythm of his thrusts. 

Time lost all meaning for the men, so consumed they were by each other. Perhaps it was just a few minutes, perhaps more, but eventually they came together, Poe’s hot seed seeping over the slender hand milking it while Armitage spilled himself inside his boyfriend.

Rolling to the side to face each other, neither man spoke for several minutes, too spent from their activities. 

“That,” Poe finally panted out, “was intense.”

“Indeed,” Armitage shook his sweaty ginger fringe out of his eyes.

Poe smiled as he traced soft pink lips with his finger. “I love how talented that tongue of yours is.” Said lips curved up into a soft smile.

“Talented you say?”

“Hmm, very.”

“And you’re sure you’re okay?” concern flashed across green eyes. “I didn’t hurt you?”

“No, babe,” Poe kissed his knuckles, “I’d say you the opposite of hurt me.”

“And you’re sure he didn’t hurt you?” 

“Tage,” Poe lifted a hand to stroke his cheek, “He didn’t hurt me, I promise.”

Armitage nodded, though the little scowl on his face didn’t dissipate. “It’s curious, though.”

“What’s that, babe?”

“How did Ben already know you were my boyfriend? It was months before we got together when we last encountered him.”

“Oh, that,” Poe blushed. “Well, um, I might have told him I was your boyfriend… that night.”

Ginger brows shot up under ginger fringe. “Did you now?”

“Or, well, at least, he asked if I was your boyfriend and I said yes.”

“I have no recollection of that.”

“I’m not surprised. You were pretty out of it.”

“Yes, I remember,” Armitage blushed. “I - I’m very glad you showed up that night. Had you not, well, suffice to say it wouldn’t have been pleasant.”

“Shh, you don’t have to talk about it.”

But Armitage continued, “When he pushed you tonight, I just… saw red. I know what he’s capable of, what he can do, and all I could see in that moment was him doing to you what he used to do to me and I wasn’t about to let that happen.”

“I know, babe, but he’s gone, at least for now.”

Armitage snorted. “Oh, I dare say he’s gone for good now. For all his bluster, he doesn’t do well when his prey bites back. Not only does he know I won’t hesitate to make his life a living hell if he so much as sneezes in our direction, he knows I now have people looking out for me. I’m not alone anymore; I’m no longer an easy target for him.”

Poe shook his head, curls falling into his face. “I’m sorry you ever had to deal with that asshole.”

Carding his fingers through unruly curls, Armitage smiled. “Look on the bright side, darling. Had he never darkened my doorstep, who knows if you’d have ever had the chance to get so turned on by my rare display of physical prowess.” 

Poe blushed as he nuzzled his head into Armitage’s hand. “Omigod, shut up,” he muttered.

“I daresay, I think you’ve more kinks than you’re letting on, Mr. Dameron,” Armitage teased.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Poe gave him a wry half-smile.

“Oh, I would,” Armitage bit his lip, “but perhaps another time? I don’t know about you, but I think the excitement from our little adventure this evening is finally starting to wear off. What say you we get to sleep?” 

“Yes, sleep now, kinks later,” Poe murmured as he nuzzled into his boyfriend’s neck.

Armitage sighed contentedly, reveling in the feeling of Poe wrapped around him. He’d never fancied himself much of a protector, but he was finding that he could be a great many things where Poe Dameron was concerned. He couldn’t wait to see what else he’d discover about himself with Poe at his side. 


	2. Zorii

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious stranger shows up on their doorstep. Armitage welcomes her into his home, not realising she's about to turn his world upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the fic "Minding Tempers" takes place in between chapters 1 and 2 of this fic.
> 
> Trigger warning: panic attacks
> 
> No smut this go 'round. This is mostly angst and fluff. Enjoy.

Stepping out of the car, Armitage sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. It was the height of May. Flowers were blooming, birds were chirping and the weather was just right; not too hot, not too cold. In a few weeks’ time, the summer heat would start to creep in, but for now, thanks to a regular regimen of Claritin, nasal sprays and eye drops keeping his allergies at bay, Armitage was able to enjoy the spring weather. 

Poe was out and about doing god knows what with his friends in their continued mission to smash the white supremacist heterocispatriarchy, as Rey put it, so Armitage had taken the opportunity to run some errands. Procured goods in hand, he made his way toward the building, spying a woman he didn’t recognize leaning against the stoop. She was petite with sandy brown curls, almost as wild as Poe’s. 

“Can I help you?” he asked as he approached. 

The woman bit her lip, green eyes darting up at him. “Do you know Poe Dameron?” She nodded her head toward the callbox roster where block letters spelled out Dameron next to his apartment number. 

Armitage smirked, “You could say that. And you are?”

“Zorii Bliss,” she held out her hand in introduction.

“I, erm,” Armitage shrugged, indicating that his hands were full at the moment.

“Right, sorry,” she pulled her hand back quickly. 

Zorii… that name sounded familiar. He narrowed his eyes, wracking his brain. He was fairly certain he’d heard her name mentioned by Poe and the others from time to time. “I’m Hux. You must be a friend of Poe’s,” he surmised. 

Zorii let out a shaky laugh, “You could say that.”

Armitage chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, debating how to handle this situation. On the one hand, he didn’t know her from Adam. On the other hand, she was clearly acquainted with his newfound posse; for all he knew she was a beloved member of the group visiting from out of town. Deciding Poe wouldn’t appreciate him leaving his friend to sit out on the stoop for what could be hours before he returned, he opted for hospitality.

“Well,” he gave her a small smile, “any friend of Poe’s is a friend of mine. Why don’t you come in and have a cuppa while you wait for him. He may be a while.”

“Really? That would be great,” she beamed. 

“Of course.”

Together they made their way into the building, Zorii offering to hold some of his bags while he maneuvered his keys. He rolled his eyes when he heard her squeal, “You have a cat!”, from the kitchen while he brewed the tea. It never failed to baffle him the way the very sight of Millicent could elicit such excitement from the opposite sex. Millicent was magnificent, of course, but really ladies, have some dignity.

When he returned to the living room with their tea, he found Millicent purring contentedly from Zorii’s lap. “Here you are,” he offered the tea to her before sitting at the opposite end of the couch. “So, how is it you know Poe?”

“Oh, we go way back,” she offered, though Armitage sensed there was more to the story than that. “How about you? No wait, let me guess. When he moved in he decided you two would be the best of friends whether you liked it or not.”

Armitage chuckled, “That’s not too far off the truth, actually.” He proceeded to give her the abridged version of how Poe had wheedled himself into Armitage’s life. 

When he finished his tale, Zorii just grinned and said, “I should have known.”

“Sorry, known what?”

“He’s always had a thing for green eyes,” she waggled her eyebrows mischievously at him. 

“Oh,” his stomach plummeted, “ _oh_.”

Noting the shift in his demeanor, Zorii, placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m not here to steal your man.”

“Oh,” was all he could say. He felt his throat constricting. _Breathe, Armitage_ , he told himself. No use having a panic attack in front of his boyfriend’s ex. After forcing himself to take a few deep breaths, he finally asked, “So why? What is it that brings you here today?”

Zorii pursed her lips together. “That’s kind of… it’s private.”

“Of course,” he conceded. 

An awkward silence fell over the pair. As if sensing the tension and deciding it displeased her, Millicent jumped off Zorii’s lap and made her way to her perch on her cat tree where she could monitor the proceedings from a safe distance. 

“So much for that,” Zorii tried to joke. “I should just get a cat of my own.”

“Indeed.” Armitage wasn’t much in the mood for jokes. 

Like a deus ex machina, there was a knock at the door. “Tage?” Poe called from the other side. “You home?”

They both released sighs of relief before Armitage went to answer the door.

“Hey, babe, missed you,” Poe grinned before pulling him in for a kiss. Armitage accepted the kiss, but his body remained rigid. Sensing something was off, Poe pulled away slightly. “Babe, what is it?”

“You’ve got a visitor,” the ginger’s throat was dry, his voice cracking a bit. 

“Zorii?!” Poe’s jaw dropped. 

“Hey Poe,” Zorii gave him a little wave from where she stood by the sofa. “Long time, no see.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Armitage was pretty sure he sensed a bit of hostility in Poe’s voice. “Why are you here?”

“I-” Zorii glanced at Armitage. “Can we talk? In private?”

Poe was silent, his jaw tight, for what seemed like an eternity before he answered reluctantly. “Yeah, sure. Come on, we’ll talk here,” he tilted his head back slightly to indicate his apartment across the hall.

She nodded, grabbing her purse before making her way toward the door. She stopped, standing in between him, when she spoke softly. “Thanks for the tea, Hux.” It was an apology. She hadn’t meant to upset him. He nodded his acknowledgement. 

Once she’d made her way into the hallway, Poe grabbed Armitage’s hand, squeezing it. “Don’t worry. This shouldn’t take long.” He brought the hand up and pressed a kiss to his pale wrist. 

“Of course,” Hux nodded, squeezing back. As soon as Poe exited and he shut the door, though, his body started shaking. “Idiot,” he hissed. His breath hitched in his throat. Zorii. Zorii. Of course, now he remembered why her name was so familiar. It all came rushing back to him. Snippets of conversation amongst the friends, hints of a lover past, one who it seems had hurt Poe irrevocably. Poe didn’t like to talk about her, shut Rey and Finn down whenever her name came up. Seeing how upset the topic made Poe, Armitage didn’t bother asking more, figuring the past is the past. 

But now the past had come back to bite him in the arse. He knew Poe was bi, knew he’d been with men and women alike before they’d met. That didn’t bother him. What bothered him was that he’d never been in a position where his lover would have the opportunity to compare him with another lover of the opposite sex. He didn’t know how he measured up in this situation. His self-esteem was already piss poor, though he’d been making leaps and bounds in that area, thanks to Poe and, well, therapy. He might be gay, but he wasn’t blind. Zorii Bliss was an extraordinarily pretty woman. Her sudden appearance had Armitage questioning everything, the relationship he’d been building with Poe, his progress, all of it, in just one short afternoon. She’d said she wasn’t here to steal his man, but what if she was lying? What if she was the love of Poe’s life, and he’d just been using Armitage while he waited for her to come back to him? 

It wasn’t until he heard Millicent’s little “Mrowr” at his feet that Armitage realised he was having a panic attack. He slid down the door into a squat and gave her a little scritch while wading through his thoughts to remember the techniques he and Dr. Kalonia had talked through for when this happened. 

“Find five orange things,” he murmured to himself, his eyes scanning the room. “Millicent is orange. My hair is orange. There’s an orange candle. That book is orange. Since when do I have an orange scarf? Must be Poe’s.”

Feeling his breathing return to normal, Armitage reasoned there was nothing he could do about the situation and set about making dinner. What else was he to do?

* * *

A couple of hours passed before there was a knock at the door. “It’s open!” Armitage called from the kitchen. He’d thrown himself into cooking, if for no other reason than to distract himself from thinking about whatever was happening across the hall. 

When he left the kitchen briefly to set the table he saw Poe had returned. “Ah, good, you’re here. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“Thanks, babe,” Poe seemed subdued. “Here, I’ll do that.” Their hands met briefly as he took the plates.

“I made extra, in case, well, in case…”

“She’s not coming.”

“Oh. Okay then.” A silence passed between them. “Well, I’ll just,” Armitage pointed back to the kitchen where he was finishing up the meal. 

Within minutes they were sitting together at the table, tucking into the baked salmon, jasmine rice, and brussel sprouts he’d prepared. 

Armitage tried to engage Poe in conversation, asking how things went today smashing the patriarchy, telling him about his own day, before it had been turned upside down. He’d even started talking about the weather as though this were a bad first date. Poe gave short responses, his mind clearly elsewhere. Finally, Armitage had had enough.

“Dammit, Poe,” he barked, his utensils clattering onto his plate, “I can’t take this anymore. Please, just tell me what Zorii wanted.”

Poe’s head shook as though Armitage had splashed his face with ice cold water. “Sorry?”

“You’ve barely said two words ever since she left. I’m not used to being the talkative one. Whatever she said to you over there… Well it must have been something big if it’s made you clam up like this.”

Poe sighed, “She wasn’t kidding when she said it was private.”

“Well, forgive me if I don’t give a flying fuck about her privacy,” Armitage sneered. “I’m your boyfriend. I think I deserve to know why your ex suddenly showed up on our doorstep needing to see you. And to think I let her in. I even brewed the good tea for her. This is your fault, you know. Before you came along, I wouldn’t have spared her a kind word, much less invited her in for tea. You’ve turned me into...into a nice person.” He stabbed viciously at the fish on his plate. “Are you laughing at me?”

Poe had covered his mouth with his napkin in a poor attempt to hide his mirth. “I’m sorry, babe. You’re just so cute when you go off like this.” Armitage’s frown deepened. “Okay, okay,” he waved his hands, “I’ll tell you.”

He continued, “It seems Zorii’s decided she wants to have a kid and she asked if I would donate my sperm.”

Armitage paled. “I see,” was all he said before shoving a piece of fish in his mouth. After he’d swallowed he continued his line of questioning. “And I suppose that’s something you want? Children?”

Poe shrugged, “I’ve always wanted a family.”

Armitage nodded. “I understand. No hard feelings.”

“No hard… babe, what are you talking about?”

“It’s fine, really,” Armitage felt numb even as he spoke. “I wish you both all the happiness in the world. Excuse me,” he stood suddenly with his dishes before bolting into the kitchen.

“Armitage!” Poe called after him, following him into the kitchen. “Armitage, what are you talking about? I don’t want to be with her. I want to be with you.”

Armitage had slipped on the rubber gloves at the sink, busying himself with washing the dishes waiting there. “You say that now,” he clipped, “but I know you Poe. It’s not in your nature to just make your deposit, so to speak, and leave it at that. You’ll want to be involved in your child’s life. Feelings will get involved, and you’ll realise you should be with her, so you can raise your child together. It would be better for everyone if you just go now.”

He hadn’t noticed Poe moving so close he was right behind him, not until he felt his arms wrap around his waist, making him jump slightly. 

“Tage,” Poe whispered in his ear. “I told her no.” Armitage stopped breathing as Poe continued. “If I have kids, I want it to be someone I can actually build a life with. That someone hasn’t been Zorii for a long time.”

“Not her then,” Armitage willed his voice not to shake, “but someday you will meet a bird you’ll want that with. I’m giving you an out, why won’t you take it?”

“Because I don’t want it!” Poe’s voice raised slightly. His arms fell away from the other man’s waist as he took a step back. 

Armitage twirled around, not caring that the dirty dishwater sloshed about the counters, splashing up onto his shirt. “Well I refuse to be strung along just to be cut loose when I’m no longer of use to you!”

Poe’s face softened. “Tage, babe, that’s not what’s happening here.” He moved slowly toward the ginger, careful not to spook him. “Two men can have a family, you know.”

Green eyes narrowed at him, a sneer threatening across his delicate features. “You’re not stupid. Surely I don’t have to explain basic biology to you.”

Poe rolled his eyes before gently removing the rubber gloves from his partner’s hands. “We could adopt. Or find a surrogate.”

Armitage frowned. He knew that intellectually of course. “You… you would want that? With me?” He stared down at the point where Poe was rubbing soothing circles into his wrists. 

Poe smiled. “I think I could.”

“I...You know I haven’t the best track record with family. It’s honestly not something I’d ever considered for myself.”

“Hey,” Poe squeezed his wrists before pulling him closer, “no pressure. We don’t have to have kids. It's way too soon to be thinking about that anyway. I’m just saying, I’m not going anywhere.”

Not able to speak around the emotion constricting his throat, Armitage leaned down to press a kiss against Poe’s lips. 

Poe smiled into the kiss. “Though you know,” he smirked when they pulled apart, “if we ever do go that route, we could always ask Rey to be our surrogate.”

“Dear god,” Armitage murmured, “if that’s who you have in mind as a surrogate, it’s probably best I sire the child. Lord knows what havoc would wreck on the universe with your combined DNA.”

Poe guffawed. “Okay, fair enough. You’re prettier than me anyway, so I’m good with that.”

Armitage blushed but declined to argue that point with Poe, knowing it was pointless. “So are you going to help me wash the dishes, or what?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Poe grinned even as the sarcasm dripped from his lips. 

“Cheeky,” Armitage teased back, smacking his arse, earning another laugh from Poe. Slipping the gloves back on, they settled into their usual rhythm, Armitage washing, Poe drying. They worked silently, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. 

It occurred to Armitage that perhaps this is what Poe was talking about when he talked about building a life together. Having a special companion at your side didn’t mean the trials and tribulations of day to day life went away. It just meant that you had someone to go through those things with, be they exes making unwelcome entrances into your life, or something as simple as washing the dishes. 

So Armitage decided to relish this moment. He felt truly content, something that was becoming all too common with Poe in his life. Turning his head, he bit his lip as he took in his boyfriend’s handsome profile. 

“What?” Poe asked when he caught him staring.

Armitage just shook his head, pecking him on the cheek. “Nothing. Just life.”

A life they were just starting to build together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments give me life!

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you for reading!


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